


The Window

by cupidty11



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Hopefully not too OOC, M/M, Rain, This is terrible, ZaDr, hurt/comfort???, some kinda cheesy romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 07:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3802126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupidty11/pseuds/cupidty11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes it was 2 in the morning, and the window opened, tiny faux invader stumbling around in the dark, avoiding the stacks of papers and artifacts, to crawl into Dib’s bed. To curl against the human’s warmth, silence and peace. A rare acceptance.</p><p>Tonight, Dib slammed the window shut. The lock clicked in place with a dark finality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Window

The window was always open. It hadn’t been truly shut in a year. It remained cracked to the elements for the benefit of one lonesome alien jerk. Not that Dib really minded. Anymore.

  
Sometimes Zim was busy with whatever experiments or project he had going on. Sometimes Dib was knee deep in school work or his latest paranormal case. They could go for days without seeing each other. There was always texts, emails, IMs, skype voice chats. But, none of those were a replacement for when Dib heard the window creak open.

They would play video games on Gaz’s old GS console, bickering, their characters on screen causing havoc. They could talk about earth, Irk, the Paranormal, Science, or Gir, Gaz, Dad, the Tallest. Or they could sit in silence while Dib did his homework, and Zim read one of the human’s dog eared trashy scifi novels. Making the occasional sound of skepticism or sarcastic remark.

Sometimes it was 2 in the morning, and the window opened, tiny faux invader stumbling around in the dark, avoiding the stacks of papers and artifacts, to crawl into Dib’s bed. To curl against the human’s warmth, silence and peace. A rare acceptance.

Tonight, Dib slammed the window shut. The lock clicked in place with a dark finality. They hadn't fought like this in years. Normally, it was just bickering. But, this…was volatile and sparked by seemingly nothing. His hands shook. It didn’t matter what it was about.

About taking over earth, about Dib leaving the state for college, about the Tallest, about Dib’s family. Maybe all of the above. Maybe none. It filled him, a viscous overwhelming annoyance in his gut. He struggled to control his breathing, nostrils flaring, heart beating rapidly. He fought the urge to kick, punch anything around him.

Only Zim made him this mad. Only Zim knew him well enough to pick the ‘right’ words to drive him up the wall. Only Zim was important enough to send him hurtling down so many paths of emotions, when his whole life Dib had carefully repressed those emotions.

He threw himself onto the bed, face down, scowling into the pillow. Dib was determined to calm down. Determined to avoid the irken for weeks. He wouldn’t be the one apologizing this time. Zim would just have to come crawling back to him. Dib’s resolve was steel.

Or it was. The first shout of thunder shook it. He froze, holding in his breath to listen. A beat. Two. Three. He relaxed minutely. Must’ve been someone knocking over their trash cans or something equally as ridiculous.

The next roar came not soon afterwards. He sat up, frowning hard. A glance at his open laptop. The first day in over a year that he hadn’t been aware of the weather, hadn’t checked for rain. From his position, he could see the sky; bruised, heavy with dark clouds. Dib bit his bottom lip, chewing silently as he gathered his thoughts.

Zim was terrified of thunder and lightning, even more so than the rain itself for some reason. It confused him; the rain was the thing that was the danger. And yet, the sound of it put Zim on edge. The alien’s eyes would grow wide, breath bated, stiff and ready to fight or run like a frightened animal.

The clock on his messy bedside table told him that it had been six hours since they’d parted ways. Dib had stormed off, Zim still yelling at his back. Another, even louder crack of thunder. It shook his world. He stood, socks shuffling against the hard wood toward the window. It opened with a loud squeak. The streetlamps illuminated the cracked pavement, the smallest sprinkles of rain passing through the beams of amber light.

He leaned out of the frame, looking down into his yard. He expected to see big, glowing magenta eyes staring back. Nothing. There hadn’t been one rainy day that Zim hadn’t spent in his company. His jaw clenched, fingers tightening against the frame. Maybe the irken was at home, still stewing over the fight. Maybe he was deep enough in his labs that he couldn’t hear the storm. Despite all his past anger, Dib hoped that was true. And yet…

“Zim.” He tried quietly into the gloom. Tiny cold drops hit his face. Dib looked back at his bed, light falling over it from the computer screen. Easy enough to just lay back down, to scowl at the ceiling and go over every angry word, to shove it all back into the place he reserved for unwanted emotions.

“Zim.” He hissed once more, a little louder. Useless. He sighed, went to pull away and close the window.

A noise. Like tiny boot heels against roof shingles. Dib looked up, and met with two bright berry pink eyes, peeking over the edge of the gutter.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dib scolded. It was raining for crying out loud. “Get down from there.” He ducked through the window, backing up to sit on his bed.

Another burst of thunder, loud enough to make him wince. Loud enough to send the alien scrambling down and inside. Well partially. One leg hanging over each side, expression unsure. Face clouded with fear that he was trying so hard to hide, to deny. Dib felt his chest clench a bit;, a side effect of caring. He was angry. Still so angry.

“You’re letting in the rain Zim, come on.” Dib mumbled grumpily. Zim clambered through, shutting the window. The human pulled his knees up, wrapping thin arms around them. He watched Zim turn, hesitate.

There was so much in him. So much resentment and weakness, anger, needy feelings… The tiny irken wrapped his arms around himself subconsciously. Outside the thunder clapped again. His spooch leapt, a small noise caught in his throat.

Dib looked away, swallowing. He had the control here. He could let Zim stand there, afraid, clutching at himself, eyes wide and wild. The thought should’ve made him feel better. It actually made him slightly nauseous. He sighed, holding out a hand.

“Come ‘ere.” His own voice was lower and rougher than he’d meant for it to be. Zim leapt at the opportunity, crossing the room. Equal measure of fear and relief motivating the way his own hand took the human’s. Motivated the way he let himself be pulled down until they rested side by side on the mattress.

The fear was why he wound his claws into the human’s shirt, unable to meet his gaze. Silence passed between them, filled by rain against the glass, flashes of light and the deep rumble of thunder. Each bang made him tenser. It was only when Dib made a small noise of annoyance and pulled the irken closer that Zim let himself be weak.

He shimmed on the bed until they were flush. Dib was so warm. Heat radiating off him. Engulfing the chill all over his body. Antenna pressed against the human’s pulse. A steady rhythm that drowned out the storm.

Dib stared up at the ceiling, at the press on glow in the dark stars that had been there since he was eight. “I…” He broke the silence. Zim felt the rumbling of his voice. “I didn’t know it was going to rain…I didn’t check today.”

Zim opened his eyes, unsure of when they’d shut. He looked at the fabric of the human’s shirt, feeling something inside him relax. When the storm had started, and the window was locked…he’d thought it was a punishment of sorts. That he’d be forced to deal with this ridiculous fear alone for the first time in a year. Almost two. He probably could’ve. No. He would have been able to. Except…it was so much easier like this.

“You..didn’t?” He asked, forcing himself to sound monotone. Dib heaved a sigh, resting a hand on the back of the alien’s neck, kneading the area. Zim’s eyes slid shut.

“No, genius.” And he felt such relief. Such stupid relief. That even after a fight that felt so serious a few hours ago, Dib was here. With his steady heartbeat, his warmth, his familiar scent, his touch. Zim hated himself as he relaxed into said touch, hating how his spooch clenched unwillingly, relief that this was still his. This stability in the arms of his equal.

“I…” His own voice sounded unfamiliar. So small. “I’m sorry.” Rare words. Rarer that the meaning behind them was sincere. He WAS sorry. For helping create this little rift between them.

Dib’s thumb ran a line across the base of an antenna. “Me too.” He murmured, sleepily.

They sighed in unison, for different reasons that were somehow the same. Dib smirked slightly. Zim ignored it, or didn’t notice it. He was too busy listening to the sound of Dib’s heart.


End file.
